The present invention relates generally to household products and specifically to a collapsible drying apparatus for convenient drying, storage, and transportation. The need for this invention arises in typical households. It is particularly difficult to dry certain garments used in the household, especially those made out of heavy fabrics, such as wool. Such garments must be laid on a smooth surface and air-dried over a period of time.
Several prior art devises have attempted to provide solutions to this problem. However, none provide the convenient, economical, and easy to use features of the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,147 to Zheng discloses a method and apparatus for folding and collapsing an object incorporating a flexible loop. The need for a cable having it ends passing through an opening and then tied to second and third points along the loop restricts the use of the object in the drying process. Furthermore, the invention does not allow both sides of the garment to be freely exposed to air movement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,602 to Krill teaches a collapsible drying rack including a series of horizontal tubular plastic frame elements connected together by corner elements and a mesh sheet mounted on the frame. However, taking apart such a device appears to be a laborious process and storing it is a challenge in relatively narrow place, such as traveler""s bag. Reliability may be a problem also, because plastic elements tend to break easily.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,357 to Van Vliet discloses a clothes-drying platform composed of a net stretched between frame members knitted through the margins of the net. The platform can be supported alternatively by swingable, retractable legs, by suction cups, or by a suspension sling. The platform is not foldable and, therefore, is harder to transport or to store.
It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible drying apparatus that is easy to set up, easy to fold into a compact configuration, and to be conveniently stored and transported. It is a further object of this invention to provide such an apparatus that can be sturdily supported in a convexly arcuate position so that air can freely circulate above and below the object or garment to be dried. Another object of this invention is to provide a method for forming and collapsing a drying apparatus that is effortless and involves a minimal number of steps.
In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the preferred embodiment of the collapsible drying apparatus comprises a frame having an expanded state and a collapsed state and a web substantially stretched over the frame. In it preferred embodiment, two opposing support members are coupled to the frame. A strap having it ends coupled to the web comprises a releasable fastener located a predetermined distance from one of the strap""s ends. The ends of the strap may also be coupled to the frame. The strap has an adjustable length and applies a variable tension to the frame in it expanded state and also to the web. As a result of the applied variable tension, the web and the frame take a convexly arcuate position that allows support of the garment or other article for drying and air movement.
In order to fold the apparatus into its collapsed state, the user needs to disengage the fastener, thereby releasing the tension applied to the web and to the frame. Then, the user rotates the support members or opposed sides of the frames in opposite directions in planes perpendicular to a plane defined by the frame and the web, and then biases the support members or sides toward each other. These actions force the frame to collapse by creating a pair of circular web portions folded adjacently. Finally, the user wraps the strap around the frame and the two web portions and engages the fastener, thereby securing the frame in its collapsed state.